1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the art of firearm casings. More particularly, this invention is related to a protective cover for a firearm which permits the firearm to be sighted, discharged and transported while remaining protected from the elements.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are various devices which can be employed to encase a firearm, however many are limited as they do not permit use of a firearm sight or discharge of shells while the firearm is enclosed in such casing. Various gun casings, covers and methods of construction are prevalent in the prior art and referenced below.
The U.S. patent issued to Gantress, U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,247, discloses a cover for protecting a rifle from the elements while permitting the firearm, enclosed in the cover, to be fired. The invention of Gantress does allow access to the rifle through the bottom of the cover. However, Gantress's apparatus does not permit use of a sight while the rifle is enclosed in the cover.
The U.S. patent issued to Stackhouse, U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,371, is directed to a gun case that is capable of being folded up to fit in a person's shirt pocket when not in use. The case, when being used, has openings permitting the access to the trigger of a gun. However, Stackhouse's apparatus does not permit a firearm to be aimed utilizing its sight while so encased.
The patent to Pedro, U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,166 discloses a weapon case having handles and used for storing and carrying the weapon, but does not allow the weapon to be used while in the protective covering.
The Kunevicius patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,500, shows a gun glove consisting of two separate pieces. The front piece being a sleeve which slides over the front portion of a firearm to protect it and the rear piece being a zippered sleeve with a VELCRO.RTM. type fastening means on the rear end which helps to encompass the stock of the firearm. This gun glove does allow access and use of the firearm while in use, but does not fully encase or protect the entire firearm.
The U.S. patent issued to Stinemates, U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,498, is directed to a gun mitten which is a protective cover for the stock portion of a firearm. While the Stinemates apparatus allows access to the firearm while in used, it also only covers the stock portion of the firearm and does not allow for an ammunition clip to be used with the firearm while the mitten is in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,456 issued to Schauer shows a gun case for protecting a firearm from the elements while being carried in the field. Schauer's apparatus does not allow for use of the firearm while it is within the case.
The Jones et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,344, entitled "Firearm Casing Device" and incorporated herein by reference, shows a protective firearm casing which allows the firearm to be discharged while the cover is in place and it also allows for a sight to be used while on the firearm. The Jones et al. casing does not form fit the firearm or have a lower flap mechanism which allows for maximum coverage and protection as well as easy accessibility and the use of an ammunition clip all while the cover is in place.
The patent issued to Kiang, U.S. Pat. No. Re 32,752, discloses a long barreled firearm protective covering comprised of two separate elements. The first element being a sleeve which slides onto the middle portion of the firearm. The second element being a zippered pouch that slides over the rear portion of the firearm and covers the butt of the gun while also holding extra ammunition. A shortcoming of the Kiang device is that the ammunition can easily fall out of the ammunition holder and also must always be used in conjunction with the butt of the firearm.
The Warnier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,687, discloses a weapon casing that is contoured to fit the shape of the firearm, even including a sight, and includes a carrying strap but does not allow access to operate the firearm while it is encased in the cover.
Also, the application issued to Rowe, U.S. Des. 372,121, shows a gun case having a somewhat contoured fit and carrying strap but also does not allow the firearm to be operated while within the carrying case.
While the above stated devices are a fair representation of the current prior art, there remains room for improvement as defined by the currently claimed invention.